Wednesday, 24 October 2012

Is Christianity too good to be true, wishful thinking?

It is a fair question - because Christianity promises so much more than any other religion or ideology that the only reason not to believe it is if it is not true.

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But it is not open to you to reject Christianity on the basis that it is incredible, impossible - the testimony of history closes that option.

(And modern economics, science and technology makes no difference whatsoever to the argument.)

Christianity has been believed by greater men than you or I or any alive today; men of greater wisdom, intelligence, experience, goodness, truthfulness.

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It is not open to reject Christianity because it seems immoral, evil, harsh, judgemental, intolerant, repressive or for any other moral criticism.

Anyone who thinks this is simply ignorant of Christianity (as well as being ignorant of the alternatives).

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A rational person would want Christianity to be true. The only question is whether it is true.

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There is substantial evidence of the truth of Christianity, but only if you actively look for it, and the evidence is not overwhelming and can be denied.

Nobody is compelled to be Christian by the evidence alone.

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It is interesting that in the past 200 years (as well as before) nobody has come up with a better offer than Christianity.

Perhaps no better offer can be conceived?

Perhaps wishful thinking cannot imagine anything better?

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There certainly are better offers than Christianity for making a utopia in this world, there are offers for extending this kind of life indefinitely - but in Christian terms of eternity and perfection, these are infinitely inferior to the Gospel message; and leave untouched the ineradicable existential horror of this world and this life.

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If Christianity does not strike you as too good to be true, then you haven't understood it properly.

Christianity certainly is too good to be true in human terms; and yet it is rational and coherent, neither ridiculous nor absurd.

Whether or not it is true is all that matters; which alternative is something that each man can only discover for himself - and intentionally so.

(That just is how things are set-up, for reasons you will understand if you become a Christian, but not until then.)